Industrial balers are used in a variety of industries to compact various types of waste, such as office paper, fiberboard, plastic, metal (including foil and can for sale to recycling companies). These balers are made of steel with a hydraulic ram to compress the material loaded. Some balers are simple and labor-intensive, but are suitable for smaller volumes while other balers are very complex and automated, and are used where large quantities of waste are handled.
In the demolition, construction, remediation, or remodeling of structures, waste metal is generated. Balers are generally made of steel with a hydraulic ram to compress the waste material loaded onto the baler. In the prior art, a variety of baler designs exist. However, across these designs, common problems exist.
First, balers often are sized to not easily fit inside elevators or smaller interior spaces or are sized such that the movement of the baler into/out of an elevator or into/out of the interior space causes damage to the elevator or interior space. As such, there is a need in the art for balers that can be sized or modularized to allow for ease of transport into/out of elevators and into/out of smaller interior spaces.
Secondly, balers are volume limited, that is, limited in the amount of volume of waste metal material the baler can have loaded and thereafter compressed. The smaller the volume of the waste metal material compressed by the baler, the more waste metal material the baler can compress without having to stop or interrupt baling and unload the compacted waste metal material from the baler and the related lost time waiting for baler unloading/loading operations or elevator transport. As such, there is a need in the art for balers that are able to maximize the compression ability of the baler and compress as much waste metal material ((by weight) into as small a volume as possible, i.e., maximize the density of the compressed waste metal material (weight of waste metal material compressed by the baler per volume of the resultant compressed waste metal material).
Thirdly, balers require the use of trained professionals. The larger the number of professionals needed to operate the baler (i.e., the more complex) for any given project, the less amount of available labor exists for other needed work associated with the project. Moreover, the more difficult it is to assemble/disassemble the baler, the more time is needed for assembly/disassembly and the less time exists for the available labor to complete other needed work associated with the project. As such, there is a need in the art for balers that are simple to operate, assemble, and disassemble.
Fourthly, each individual baling cycle (loading of material, compressing of material, unloading of compressed material) should be as short as possible. The longer the baling cycle, the longer project completion time will be. As such, there is a need in the art for balers capable of compressing material in as short an individual baling cycle time as possible while not sacrificing volume-maximization capabilities.
Fifthly, the compressed baled material has to be transported from the project site to ultimate disposition. Often, balers do not have the transport volume necessary to accomplish this task, which requires the use of a dumpster and the related dumpster rental or purchase cost, increasing the cost of the overall job. As such, there is a need in the art for balers capable of providing sufficient compressed waste metal material storage volume so as to obviate or minimize the need for separate dumpster use.
Sixthly, the waste metal material to be compressed and the compressed baled material must be handled by personnel in many instances. Often, such material, which can comprise studs, conduit, ceiling grid, hanger wires, light fixtures, HVAC components, and ductwork, has sharp edges/surfaces or contain or comprise dangerous, sharp, toxic, noxious, or other harmful materials or substances. Moreover, many such materials are bulky and hard to handle. Further, many of these materials may inadvertently damage interior walls or surfaces of elevators given their rough or sharp nature. As such, there is a need in the art for modular balers capable of minimizing the exposure of personnel to such material during baler operations and risk of such materials causing damage to other structures while sized or modularized to allow for ease of transport into/out of elevators and into/out of smaller interior spaces.